Opening Your Hand… and Your Heart - Parashat Re’eh

Every single day — not once in a while, but every day — in our synagogue, there are people in line at the door asking for help. Some we recognize, some are strangers passing through. They come with letters, envelopes, sometimes with tears. And if you think about it — many of them come hoping that today will be the day their prayers are answered. There’s a danger here. Not that we’ll stop giving — but that we’ll start giving without feeling. That our hands will stay open, but our hearts will close. The Torah’s Words In Parashat Re’eh (Devarim 15:7–8), the Torah says: “כִּֽי־יִהְיֶה֩ בְךָ֨ אֶבְי֜וֹן מֵאַחַ֤ד אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ בְּאַחַ֣ד שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ בְּאַ֨רְצְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁר־ה׳ אֱלֹקֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֣ן לָ֑ךְ לֹ֧א תְאַמֵּ֣ץ אֶת־לְבָבְךָ֗ וְלֹ֤א תִקְפֹּץ֙ אֶת־יָ֣דְךָ֔ מֵאָחִ֖יךָ הָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃ “If there is a needy person among you, one of your brothers, in one of your gates in your land that Hashem your God is giving you, do not harden your heart and do not close your hand from your needy brother.” “כִּֽי־פָתֹ֧חַ תִּפְתַּ֛ח אֶת־יָדְךָ֖ ל֑וֹ וְהַעֲבֵט֙ תַּעֲבִיטֶ֔נּוּ דֵּ֚י מַחְסֹר֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יֶחְסַ֖ר לֽוֹ׃” “Rather, you shall surely open your hand to him, and lend him whatever he needs, whatever he is lacking.” Notice: • The Torah doesn’t just say “open your hand.” It says “open your hand to him.” • And it begins not with the hand, but with the heart: “Do not harden your heart.”